Steam-cooker for oil-bearing meal and the like.



No. 852,058. PATENTED APR. 3Q, 19 7.

A. w. FRENCH. STEAM comma FOR OIL BEA-RING MEAL AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED HIRE 10, 1905.

ALFRED w. FRENCH, or PIQUA, OHIO.

STEAM-COOKER FOR OIL-BEARING MEAL AND THE. LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 30, 1907.

Application filed June 10, 1905. Serial No. 264,664.

To all whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED W. Fulton, a citizen of the- United States, residing at Piqua, in the county of Miami and State of Ohio,

have invented anew and usefril Improve ment in Steam-Cookers for Oil-Bearing Meal and the Like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to steam cookers or kettles of the'kind employed in oil mills for cooking or heating the oil-bearing meal preparatory to expressing the oil therefrom.

These coo'kersusually comprise. a series of steam jacketed kettles or vessels in which the meal iscooked, and the meal is drawn from the last kettle into the cake former or device for molding the meal into cakes suitable for insertion into the oil press. As ordinarily operated the meal is partially cooked in one kettle and then discharged into the next kettle of the series where the cooking is continued, this operation being repeated until the meal reaches the last kettle in which the cooking is completed. Thedischarge of the meal from one kettle to the next is not automatic and must be performed manually by an operative who must be a skilled. meal cook if proper results are to be secured.

One object of the invention is to produce a steam cooker which will insure uniformity of cooking and an improved quality ofmeal, and reduce the labor in the cooking operation by automati ally controlling the discharge of the meal from one kettle to the next so as to maintain the quantity of meal in each vessel except the first practically constant, and to regulate the length of time the meal remains in each kettle.

Other objects of the invention are to economize space by a novel arrangement of the kettles, and to provide means of simple construction for moistening the meal and which can be readily controlled to properly re ulate the moisture of the meal.

n the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a steam cooking apparatus embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional plan in line 22, Fig. -1, partly broken away.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in both figures.

A A A A represent steam cooking kettles, vessels, or chambers, which are arranged in a descending series, or one below the other,

180 that the meal can be discharged by gravity from one vessel into the next vessel be- .low. The vessels or chambers are similar and, in the construction shown, each has the usual hollow bottom a forming a steam chamher and jacketed walls a filled with some suitable non-conducting material.

Each vessel, except the bottom one, has a meal discharge s out B leadin from its lower portion or ottom, prefers ly-at one side thereof, and depending into the next vessel below. The mouths f the discharge spouts are, open and the mezii will discharge by gravity from'one vessel through its discharge spout into the next vessel below until the meal rises in the lower vessel u to, or slightly above, the mouth of the discharge spout, when the flow of the meal will cease.

Therefore by having all of the spouts terminate at the same distance from the bottoms of the vessels into which they depend, the meal cannot rise higher in. one vessel than in another.

In order to regulate the depth of the meal in the vessels each discharge spout B'is preferablyproi' ided with a telescoping section C,

by raising and lowering which the elevation of the mouth of the spoutcan be changed and consequently the level of the meal in the ves- 1 sel which it supplies can be regulated. The

meal is fed into the first or top vessel,-and is withdrawn from the lastvessel into the cake former through the usual discharge gate D in the bottom of the last vessel.

,The vessels may be closed, asshown, by tops E provided with suitable doors or gates e which can. he opened to allow the escape of moisture when the meal is' wet.

In the construction shown, the vessels are arranged in staggered order. This arrangement is desirable as it enables the bottom of one vessel to be located at the level of the top of the next vessel below, and the cooker occupies less vertical space than it would with the vessels arranged one directlyover the other, if the necessary space between the vessels be allowed for the escape of moisture therefrom.

The vessels'are supported in this staggered relation on a frame or rack F of anysuitable construction.

Steam is supplied to the steam chambers of the vessels and the water of condensation isdraincd therefrom by pipes f f arranged in any usual or suitable manner. Each vessel is also provided with the usualrotary stirrer G or device of any sort for agitating the meal and moving it toward the discharge spouts B so vessel A abov'e,.to allow ring mechanism and the arrangement of the:-

steam piping described, and these may be of any ot er suitable construction and arrange ment.-

' In operation charged into the cake former the level of the meal in the last vessel will fall sufiiciently. relative to the discharge spout B of the next the discharge of a corresponding amount of meal from the latter vessehthuslowering the l f th vessel A and thereby sponding discharge from thej'next lng sehA' Each vessel thus discharges -auto- -matically intothe vessel'next below a quanjmeal in tit-vof meal suhstantiallyequal to that with- I constructed" and located elsewhere in drawn from the last -vessel, and the-quantity of meal in each ofthe vessels except the first c is maintained practically constant. On ac count ef the 'stirrers the level'of the meal elaich vessel willbp sfimewhat agpvlp thexillis. c arge opening 0 t e spout w 'c supp "es it. but will remain practically) uniform. As is discharged fromrthe ottom of each vessel-into the; top of the. vessel next below each time meal is withdrawn from. the bottom vessel, the meal is kept in motion and onl remains at the bottomof each vesselfor rt eriodof time. All of'the meal is thus uniihrml cooked and none of it is overcooked, as is 'able to be the case when the discharge of the mealfrom'one vessel to the next is de endentupon an operative.

, The coo or is automatic in its actionfand the services of askilled mealcook are unonce in the first vessel.

necessary. v

The cooker is also preferably rovided with -means for moistening the mea and prelimi- 5 0 'narily heating it before entering the first ves-.

sel. These means may vary-in constructionand arrangement. As shown in the drawings, the meal is spouted through an inclined ehute 1 into the-steam jacketed trou h of a 5 5 serew conveyor K which dischar es t ough a suitable opening 7: into the t vessel- The ample heating surface of this feed con veyer raises the temperature of the meal to such a degree that .t e ,cookingis started at The moistening device shoWn consists of a steam box L arranged in the bottom ofathe feed spout or chute and having an inclined top or plate over which the meal passes and 6 garnish. perforations Z through which the substantially as set forth.

asa'oss steam is discharged into the mealhljiThese perforations are referably inclined-relative to the "plane of t is top of the steam box to prevent the meal from falling: into and clog- 1 I I is supplied with steam by pipes ging them. The box m m which. are of sufiicient size, as cornpared with the combined area of the disolling valve m is provided in an accessible o's'ition and between this valve "m and the discharge perforations 'of the steam box is cated a steam gage m whenthe discharge gate D of the last vessel A? isopened and meal dis- The perforations of l is therefore possible to discharge a definite uantity of steam and thus exactly regulate t e moisture of the meal.

The perforations Z .of thesteam box will discharge a definite volume of steam at a certain pressure, and it is therefore possible to give the-meal adefinite amount of steam and thus regulate its moisture, as desired, by merely opening the valve m until the steam gage indlcated a predetermined pressure.

charge perforations l, to maintain a steady pressure in the steam box. A steam con- 8o. olui'ne of steam at a certain pressureyand it The moistening devicezcan be variously cooking system.

I claim as my nventlon.

1. Thecombination of a'plurality of heat ing vessels or chambers for solid material arrangedin a descending series and havingthe each vessel except the last being arranged to discharge into a lower vessel and -located'below the top of such lower vessel in position to be stopped by the material rising in said lower vessel, and agitating means for causing the dischar e' of the material from. the vessels, where y material will automatically discharge fiom each vessel except the last into a lower vessel when material is withdrawn from the last vessel and the quantity of material in each vessel exceptthe first will be maintained substantially constant,

cated in such lower vessel above t e bottom. thereof, and agitatin devices for the mate-- rial to cause the disc ar e' thereof, -whereby the quantity of materia each vessel except the first is automatically regulated, substantially asset ""tn.'.

. '3. The combinstzonof a plurality.of1heat 'ing vessels or chambers. arran ed. in a y descending seriesgand anopen-en ed discharge. "spout depending *fIOmEBHiOllVGSSBl exce' t, the last into the vessel next below, said spouts-tenninatingahovejthehetie vessels into which they de end, and stirrers for a itatingthe materia in ,the fvessels, where y material is dischar ed from each vessel into that next below w 'en' material is withdrawn from the lastvessela'nd all of the vessels are automatically kept partially filled,substantially as set forth.

- v 4. The combination of a plurality of heat- 21;}, 4 ing vessels or chambers arranged in a de- -io spout depending from each vessel except the scending series, an open-ended discharge last into the vessel next below, and agitating devices for causing the material todischarge through said spouts, said spouts terminating at substantially e ual distances from the bottoms of the vesse s into which they depend,

whereby each vessel automatically discharges into thatnext below when material is withdrawn from the last'vessel and a substantially constant quantity of material is automaticall maintained in each of the vessels except t e first, sub'stantiall as set forth.

5. The combination of a urality of heating vessels arranged in a escendin series,

and an open-ended discharge spout W ich enlarges downwardly from its upperto its lower end .depending from each vessel except the last into a lower vessel, said s outs terminating above the bottoms of t evesselsinto which they depend, whereby each vessel discharges the material into such lower vessel,

when material is withdrawn from'the last vessel and the quantity of material in the vessels is automatically regulated, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination'of a plurality of heating vessels or-ch rs arranged in' a descending series, means for heating said vessels, means for withdrawing the material from the last vessel, a discharge spout'leading from each vessel except the last into the ;vessel next below, and means Ior changing the elevation of the discharge opening of each discharge spout, whereby the quantity of material in each vessel except the first is auitomgtically. regulated, substantially as set .ort

7-; The combination of a plurality of heating vesselsv or chambers arranged in a descending series, means for heating said vessels, means for"-withdrawing-the material fromthe last vessel, and a discharge spout leading from each vessel ex'ce' t the last into the vessel next below, each 'sc'harge s out having a telescopic section, substantial y as set'forth..

' 8. The combination of a plurality of'heating vessels or chambers arranged-- in a. descending series in staggered order so that one vessel projects laterally beyond the next, a?

discharge spout; depending from each vessel:

except the last into the vessel nextfbelow; and agitating devices for causing the mate-.

rial to discharge through said spouts, said spouts terminating above the bottoms of the vessels into which they depend, whereby each vessel discharges material into thv'essel nextbelow when material is Withdrawn from the last vessel and the quantit ofmaterial in the vessels is automatica y r'egu+ lated, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination with a cooking apparatus, and a feed chute for thesame, of a steam boxlocated at the bottom of said feed chuteand having a top over which the ma-. terial passes provided with discharge perforations, a steam supply pipe for said steam box having an area'greater than the com bined area of 1 said discharge perforations whereby ste'am ressure'is maintained in MARGIE M. WHITLOOK. 

